E. J. - 993 Alumni

As I pointed out above, SCCA recommends their own schools. Of course you can spend ten times the amount at a school and get a SCCA license and learn how to drive a race car. Or you can spend $300 at an SCCA school, get the same license and learn how to race.

E. J.

Robert Henriksen

I know SCCA recommends SCCA schools . Actually, SCCA will accept a cla$$ at Bondurant/Barber/etc in lieu of one or even two of their schools. Check the SCCA website for specifics.

I took the EJ route: LOTS of DE days (can you believe > 3 years?) before I started racing. I did a year or so of instructing as well, which forces you to really understand what you're doing, so that you can have a prayer of explaining it clearly to students.

In one of my first local races, I had to explain to a very angry guy I'd bumped out of third place that just because I had the MaD sKilZ to run in the front group didn't mean I knew squat about racecraft!

Adam Richman

Its [SCCA] really not in the business of recommending schools. It provides an in-house path to pro racing basically. You could look at it as a ground up path of - Solo II -> Solo I -> Racing (Novice Permit -> Regional License -> National License -> Pro Racing License).

For some Solo I's you need a Solo license (Talladega comes to mind and some hill climbs), for others you need a valid driver's license and the proper safety equipment. Not too too familiar w/ Solo I rules but this is from memory.

You can earn your National license (for Club Racing) by the number of races you have under your permit (6 IIRC) or regional license (2 for the Regional + 4 IIRC). You can run pretty much any regional race in any region with a Regional license. To run some of the longer endurance races, you will need a National license. To run Nationals, you also need a National license. From memory, Pro license requirement was one year with a National license.

Some of the schools allow you to bypass the gradients to get your regional and/or other licenses. It's more akin to accreditation than "recommendation." Many clubs accept your SCCA race license but I doubt they are "recommending" you go get your SCCA license and then come back to race with them - simply they accept the license as its pretty much an accredited program by most club race standards. I know that NASA accepts an SCCA Regional or National race license, not sure on PCA/POC however.

E. J. - 993 Alumni

In the world of amateur roadracing, SCCA is considered to have the most robust accreditation process. That is why PCA, POC, NASA, EMRA and other amateur roadracing sanctioning bodies accept their licenses. Its is also why the SCCA doesn't accept licenses from those other sanctioning bodies. I have heard that perhaps this year a PCA license will get you a SCCA regional license, but I haven't verified it.

Bottom line if you are a total noobe to track driving and want to race (not do DEs) is to learn how to drive a race car first, then learn how to race. Do the latter by doing a bunch of DEs, or an expensive school like Daly, Skip, Russel or any other. Then do the SCCA school and a few races to learn how to race. This is my opinion, but there is a reason why the SCCA has successfully turned out 50,000+ amateur road racers over the years.

Bryan Watts

I know that a BMW CCA license will get you a Regional SCCA license this year.

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Crap. That doesn't mean I have to race your dad, does it? He's not getting a SRF is he?

Sloth

Actualy, I had my SCCA regional licence first. Got it when I took the Panoz Race School 3 day beginner class at Road Atlanta. When I applied for my PCA licence, they wanted to see more track experience... a total of 8 days on track. So getting an SCCA licence does not necessarily mean an automatic pass to licences from other groups.

Bryan Watts

Nope, he's still playing with the BMW. We are finally stepping up in the power department on that car (has been essentially stock, with 248 RWHP)...combined with a few new suspension tweaks, I plan to be knocking on the 2:00.00 barrier around VIR Full next month! That car is a screamer!

He may be joining me a bit in SCCA enduros in the Spec Miata I'm picking up this week. Hoping to get the car prepped and down for the Road Atlanta Drifting/Pro Miata/World Challenge Touring weekend next month.

I'm getting out of FM. I'm shooting for most track time for the $$ this year. Know anyone looking for a good, fresh (couple races on motor/tranny) FM? There are a lot on the market, but I can guarantee mine has been taken care of. The gearbox, suspension, etc are all torn down, checked, and rebuilt between each weekend by Velocity. Let me know if you run across anyone looking.

Bryan Watts

To add to this discussion, I did the Road Atlanta Panoz School after about 5-6 DE weekends. Graduating from the school earned me a SCCA Regional license (no novice), but BMW CCA still called around to the DE instructors and background checked my driving before issuing me a Novice License.

In my experience, it's harder to get a PCA or BMW CCA license than it is to get an SCCA license.

Then again, BMW CCA makes it easy now by offering their own licensing schools. Upon completion/graduation, you are issued a Novice license and are ready to go. The school can even be completed in a DE car (i.e. no cage, etc).

E. J. - 993 Alumni

Bryan, I have thought about a SM as an enduro car too. There is a 13 hour at VIR this summer, and of course there is the 12 hour at SP. I don't think I'll be able to swing the car, but we'll see. Let me know if you need someone to drive with you and pay portion of expenses.

2 flat at VIR is crazy fast.

richard glickel.

I did the Skip Barber 3-day school at Lime Rock in June '01. It was really enjoyable (as in FUN) and was a fairly rewarding learning experience (the teachers were good and affable enough; this student, on the other hand, is a slow learner).

I understand that most of the schools utilize similar teaching techniques. Lime Rock was closest geographically for me. I'd do it again.

Richard
'87 Carrera-3.6L widebody conversion

Geo

I believe you can get a list of schools that that will qualify you for an SCCA regional license from the SCCA web site.

Geo

Actually, last year that was true. This year it is not. Kind of annoying. A BMWCCA or PCA license will qualify you for an SCCA Vintage license.

I wish Topeka would get their poop together on this.

Bryan Watts

You sure about that? The consensus I read on the CCA list was just the opposite. I haven't actually read the FastTracks to see.

Bryan Watts

March '04 Fastrack:

Page 5: http://www.scca.org/news/tech/fastra...3-fastrack.pdf